Ren: The Girl with the Mark's co-creator Kate Madison was recently nominated for a Best Director award at Miami Web Fest, but this is just the latest in a long line of festival successes for the series which she and Christopher Dane created.
Ren's epic festival journey began soon after season one's release in 2016, when it was officially selected to a number of events including Pilot Light TV Festival, California Women's Film Festival, Melbourne Web Fest, FilmQuest, Gen Con and Raindance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3_jlmH2BgI
The FilmQuest trophy
Thanks to the generous backers of our Indiegogo campaign, Kate flew to Utah to attend FilmQuest, where she was delighted to receive the trophy for Best Web Series. She then crossed the Pacific in time for Melbourne Web Fest.
Melbourne's award ceremony was tense for Kate and for other team members who were watching the live stream back home. The series failed to win any of the five gongs it had been nominated for - Best International Drama, Best Cinematography, Best Score, Best Sound Design and Best Visual/Special Effects - but we were over the moon to receive the last and greatest accolade of the night: the coveted Grand Jury Award.
https://youtu.be/h-dR72trRUo
The Gen Con award
The Grand Jury Award came with automatic selection to five more international festivals in Rome, Rio, LA, Seoul and Marseille. Rio Web Fest, in turn, awarded the series Best Costume Design and automatic selection to Tuscany Web Fest. Meanwhile, the show scooped a Best Series award at Gen Con, North America's biggest tabletop gaming convention.
Autumn 2016 saw Ren: The Girl with the Mark nominated for no fewer than nine awards at Spain's Bilbao Web Fest, including Best Action/Adventure, Best Actress (Sophie Skelton), Best Supporting Actor (Christopher Dane) and the Grand Jury Award for Best Director (Kate Madison). Kate and I attended the festival in person, while Chris joined by phone to make a long-distance acceptance speech for the Best Production Design award! We were also very happy to take home the trophy for Best Series plus an official selection to Miami Web Fest.
https://youtu.be/zuHAYW3YfRk
Hyperdrive trophies
Back in the UK, Hyperdrive Sci-fi and Fantasy Festival honoured Ren with the Dez Skinn Heroes and Villains Award and Best Leading Actress (Sophie Skelton) as well as an Audience Award. Screenings at UK Web Fest and Raindance garnered further nominations, but sadly no wins.
After collecting a Marble Award for Best Fantasy from Web Séries Mag, Ren: The Girl with the Mark concluded 2016 by winning Best Score and Best Production Design at the International Online Web Fest. Amongst a total of nine nominations at this event were Best Newcomer (James Malpas) and Best Makeup and Hair Design.
https://youtu.be/v7-fJoLnCsY
The Die Seriale award
The highlight of 2017 was Seoul Web Fest in South Korea. Kate was in attendance to discover which of the show's six nominations, if any, would lead to awards. A few days later she was flying home with a Best Director trophy in her suitcase!
2018 saw Ren still going strong with a screening at Germany's Die Seriale festival accompanied by seven nominations. Here Miriam Spring Davies received her second accolade for Best Costume Design, bringing season one's total awards haul to an impressive 14, with 19 official selections and almost 60 nominations in all.
Official Selections
Pilot Light TV Festival 2016
FilmQuest 2016
Melbourne Web Fest 2016
California Women's Film Festival 2016
Gen Con 2016
Raindance Web Fest 2016
Roma Web Fest 2016
Hyperdrive Sci-Fi & Fantasy Independent Film Festival 2016
Bilbao Web Fest 2016
UK Web Fest 2016
Rio Web Fest 2016
International Online Web Fest (IOWF) 2016
LA Web Fest 2017
Tuscany Web Fest 2017
Seoul Web Fest 2017
Marseille Web Fest 2017
Die Seriale 2018
Miami Web Fest 2018 & 2019
Award Wins
Best Web Series – FilmQuest 2016
Grand Jury Award (includes selection to Roma, Rio, LA, Seoul, Marseille) – Melbourne Web Series Festival 2016
Best Series – Gen Con 2016
Dez Skinn Heroes and Villains Award, Best Leading Actress (Sophie Skelton), Audience Award - Hyperdrive Sci-Fi & Fantasy Independent Film Festival 2016
Best Series, Best Production Design, (selection to Miami) - Bilbao Web Fest 2016
Best Costume Design, (selection to Tuscany Web Fest) - Rio Web Fest 2016
Best Score, Best Production Design - International Online Web Fest (IOWF) 2016
Marble Award for Best Fantasy – Web Series Mag 2016
Best Director – Seoul Web Fest 2017
Best Costume Design – Die Seriale 2018
Award Nominations
Best Web Series, Best Costumes – FilmQuest 2016
Best International Drama, Best Cinematography, Best Score, Best Sound Design, Best Visual/Special Effects, People's Choice Award – Melbourne Web Series Festival 2016
Best Director, Best Actress (Sophie Skelton) – California Women's Film Festival 2016
Best Series – Gen Con 2016
Best UK Web Series, Best Directing, Best Achievement in Production (Production Design & Costume), Critics Choice Award, Special Festival Award (Programmer's Award) – Raindance Web Fest 2016
Dez Skinn Heroes & Villains Award, Best Leading Actress – Hyperdrive Sci-Fi & Fantasy Independent Film Festival 2016
Best action/adventure, Best Production Design, Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Supporting Actor (Christopher Dane), Best Actress (Sophie Skelton), Best Cinematography, Grand Jury Award for Best Director (Kate Madison), Best Series – Bilbao Web Fest 2016
Best Production, Best UK Series – UK Web Fest 2016
Best International Series, Best Costume Design, People's Choice Award – Rio Web Fest 2016
Best Web Series, Best Directing, Best Leading Female Role (Sophie Skelton), Best Newcomer Actor (James Malpas), Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hair Design, Best Original Score – International Online Web Fest 2016
Best Score, Best Cinematography, Best Director – LA Web Fest 2017
Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Rising Star (Sophie Skelton), Best Action Series, Best Web Series of all Genres – Seoul Web Fest 2017
Best Series, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Design, Best Visual Effects, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design – Die Seriale 2018
Best Director – Miami Webfest 2019